Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral
national legislature
of Luxembourg
. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which
the Hôtel de la Chambre
is located.
The Chamber is made up of 60 seats. Deputies are elected to serve five-year terms by
proportional representation
in four multi-seat constituencies
. Voters may vote for as many candidates as the constituency elects deputies.
, the first article of which states that the purpose of the Chamber is to represent
the country. Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy, in which the Chamber is elected by universal suffrage
under the d'Hondt method
of Party-list proportional representation
.
All laws must be passed by the Chamber. Each bill must be submitted to two votes in the Chamber, with an interval of at least three months between the votes, for it to become law. Laws are passed by absolute majority, provided that a quorum
of half of the deputies is present.
. They each represent one of four constituencies
, which are each a combination of cantons
. Each constituency elects a number of deputies proportionate to its population, with the largest electing 23 and the smallest electing 7.
every five years, with the last election
having been held on 7 June 2009. Deputies are elected by open list
proportional representation
, whereby all electors may vote for as many candidates as their constituency has seats. Each party is allocated a number of seats in proportion to the total number of votes cast for its candidates in that constituency. These seats are then allocated to that party's candidates in descending order of votes that each candidate received.
, located on Krautmaart
, in the Ville Haute
quarter
of Luxembourg City. It was originally built between 1858 and 1860 as an annex to the Grand Ducal Palace, which had, until then, been used as one of many venues for the Chamber's convocations.
The building was designed by Antoine Hartmann in a unified historicist
style, combining elements of neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance
, and neo-classical architectural genres. The Grand Ducal Palace, by contrast, was built over time in several architectural styles (primarily Renaissance
and Baroque
), but renovated in 1891 in a historicist neo-Renaissance manner.
Government parties denoted with bullets (•)
1 Does not include Laurent Mosar
, who is the President of the Chamber. Although Mosar is a CSV deputy, the President cannot vote or speak in debates (except to maintain order).
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
national legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which
Krautmaart
Krautmaart is an irregularly-shaped broad street in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is situated in Ville Haute, the historic heart of the city. It lies to the east of Place Guillaume II, across the rue du Fossé....
the Hôtel de la Chambre
Hôtel de la Chambre
The Hôtel de la Chambre des Députés is the meeting place of the Luxembourgian national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies, in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg....
is located.
The Chamber is made up of 60 seats. Deputies are elected to serve five-year terms by
proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in four multi-seat constituencies
Legislative circonscriptions (Luxembourg)
A legislative circonscription is a multi-member electoral constituency that elects representatives to Luxembourg's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies....
. Voters may vote for as many candidates as the constituency elects deputies.
Functions
The function of the Chamber of Deputies is covered under Chapter IV of the Luxembourgian constitutionConstitution of Luxembourg
The Constitution of Luxembourg is the supreme law of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The modern constitution was adopted on 17 October 1868.Whilst the constitution of 1868 marked a radical change in Luxembourg's constitutional settlement, it was technically an amendment of the original constitution...
, the first article of which states that the purpose of the Chamber is to represent
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
the country. Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy, in which the Chamber is elected by universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
under the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
All laws must be passed by the Chamber. Each bill must be submitted to two votes in the Chamber, with an interval of at least three months between the votes, for it to become law. Laws are passed by absolute majority, provided that a quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
of half of the deputies is present.
Composition
The Chamber is composed of sixty members, called deputiesDeputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
. They each represent one of four constituencies
Legislative circonscriptions (Luxembourg)
A legislative circonscription is a multi-member electoral constituency that elects representatives to Luxembourg's unicameral national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies....
, which are each a combination of cantons
Cantons of Luxembourg
||The districts of Luxembourg are divided into 12 cantons. These cantons are subdivided into 116 communes. The cantons, listed by district, include:Diekirch District*Clervaux *Diekirch *Redange *Vianden *Wiltz Grevenmacher District...
. Each constituency elects a number of deputies proportionate to its population, with the largest electing 23 and the smallest electing 7.
| Constituency | Cantons | MPs |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | Luxembourg Luxembourg (canton) Luxembourg, sometimes Luxemburg, is a canton in the south of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in the Luxembourg District. The capital is Luxembourg City.The canton consists of the following 11 communes:* Bertrange* Contern* Hesperange* Luxembourg... , Mersch Mersch (canton) Mersch is a canton in the centre of Luxembourg, in Luxembourg District. The capital is Mersch.The canton consists of the following 11 communes:*Bissen*Boevange-sur-Attert*Colmar-Berg*Fischbach*Heffingen*Larochette*Lintgen*Lorentzweiler*Mersch... |
21 |
| Est | Echternach Echternach (canton) Echternach is a canton in the east of Luxembourg, in the Grevenmacher District. The capital is Echternach.The canton consists of the following eight communes:*Beaufort*Bech*Berdorf*Consdorf*Echternach*Mompach*Rosport*Waldbillig-See also:... , Grevenmacher Grevenmacher (canton) Grevenmacher is a canton in the east of Luxembourg, in the Grevenmacher District. The capital is also called Grevenmacher.The canton of Grevenmacher consists of the following eight communes:*Betzdorf*Biwer*Flaxweiler*Grevenmacher*Junglinster... , Remich Remich (canton) Remich is a canton in the east of Luxembourg, in the Grevenmacher District. The capital is Remich.The canton consists of the following 10 communes:*Bous*Burmerange*Dalheim*Lenningen*Mondorf-les-Bains*Remich*Schengen*Stadtbredimus*Waldbredimus... |
7 |
| Nord | Clervaux Clervaux (canton) Clervaux is a canton in the north of Luxembourg, in the Diekirch District. The capital is Clervaux.The canton consists of the following eight communes:*Clervaux*Consthum*Heinerscheid*Hosingen*Munshausen*Troisvierges*Weiswampach*Wincrange... , Diekirch Diekirch (canton) Diekirch is a canton in Luxembourg in Diekirch District, consisting of 12 communes:*Bettendorf*Bourscheid*Diekirch*Ermsdorf*Erpeldange*Ettelbruck*Feulen*Hoscheid*Medernach*Mertzig*Reisdorf*Schieren... , Redange Redange (canton) Redange is a canton in the west of Luxembourg, in the Diekirch District. The capital is Redange, otherwise known as Redange-sur-Attert.The canton consists of the following 10 communes:*Beckerich*Ell*Grosbous*Préizerdaul*Rambrouch*Redange*Saeul... , Vianden Vianden (canton) Vianden is a canton in the north of Luxembourg, in the Diekirch District. The capital is Vianden.The canton consists of the following 3 communes:*Putscheid*Tandel*ViandenThe canton's land area is currently 78.52 km²... , Wiltz Wiltz (canton) Wiltz is a canton in the north-west of Luxembourg. Its capital is the city of Wiltz. It covers an area of 264.55 km², and it has a population of 12,460. It consists of ten communes:* Boulaide* Esch-sur-Sûre* Eschweiler* Goesdorf* Heiderscheid... |
9 |
| Sud | Capellen Capellen (canton) Capellen is a canton in the south-west of Luxembourg, in the Luxembourg District. The capital is Capellen .The canton consists of the following 11 communes:*Bascharage*Clemency*Dippach*Garnich*Hobscheid*Kehlen*Koerich*Kopstal*Mamer... , Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette (canton) Esch-sur-Alzette is a canton in the south-west of Luxembourg, in Luxembourg District. The capital is Esch-sur-Alzette.The canton consists of the following 14 communes:*Bettembourg*Differdange*Dudelange*Esch-sur-Alzette*Frisange*Kayl*Leudelange... |
23 |
Electoral system
Deputies are elected by universal suffrageUniversal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
every five years, with the last election
Luxembourgian legislative election, 2009
Legislative elections were held in Luxembourg on 7 June 2009, together with the 2009 election to the European Parliament. All sixty members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected for five years...
having been held on 7 June 2009. Deputies are elected by open list
Open list
Open list describes any variant of party-list proportional representation where voters have at least some influence on the order in which a party's candidates are elected...
proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, whereby all electors may vote for as many candidates as their constituency has seats. Each party is allocated a number of seats in proportion to the total number of votes cast for its candidates in that constituency. These seats are then allocated to that party's candidates in descending order of votes that each candidate received.
Latest election
Hôtel de la Chambre
The Chamber of Deputies holds session in the Hôtel de la ChambreHôtel de la Chambre
The Hôtel de la Chambre des Députés is the meeting place of the Luxembourgian national legislature, the Chamber of Deputies, in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg....
, located on Krautmaart
Krautmaart
Krautmaart is an irregularly-shaped broad street in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is situated in Ville Haute, the historic heart of the city. It lies to the east of Place Guillaume II, across the rue du Fossé....
, in the Ville Haute
Ville Haute
Ville Haute is a quarter in central Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg.In 2001, the quarter had a population of 2,686 people.It is the historical center of Luxembourg City and is involved in its UNESCO World Heritage Site status....
quarter
Quarters of Luxembourg City
The Quarters of Luxembourg City are the smallest administrative division for local government in Luxembourg City, the capital and largest city in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg....
of Luxembourg City. It was originally built between 1858 and 1860 as an annex to the Grand Ducal Palace, which had, until then, been used as one of many venues for the Chamber's convocations.
The building was designed by Antoine Hartmann in a unified historicist
Historicism (art)
Historicism refers to artistic styles that draw their inspiration from copying historic styles or artisans. After neo-classicism, which could itself be considered a historicist movement, the 19th century saw a new historicist phase marked by a return to a more ancient classicism, in particular in...
style, combining elements of neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
, and neo-classical architectural genres. The Grand Ducal Palace, by contrast, was built over time in several architectural styles (primarily Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
and Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
), but renovated in 1891 in a historicist neo-Renaissance manner.
Current composition
| Affiliation | Deputies |
|
| • | Christian Social People's Party Christian Social People's Party The Christian Social People's Party , abbreviated to CSV or PCS, is the largest political party in Luxembourg. The party follows a Christian Democratic and conservative ideology and, like most parties in Luxembourg, it is strongly pro-European... |
251 |
| • | Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party The Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party , abbreviated to LSAP or POSL, is a social democratic political party in Luxembourg.The LSAP is the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, having won 13 of 60 seats at the 2009 election, and has one seat in the European Parliament... |
13 |
| Democratic Party Democratic Party (Luxembourg) The Democratic Party , abbreviated to DP, is the major liberal political party in Luxembourg. One of the three major parties, the DP sits on the centre-right, holding moderate market liberal views combined with a strong emphasis on civil liberties, human rights, and internationalism.Founded in... |
9 | |
| The Greens The Greens (Luxembourg) The Greens is a Luxembourgian green political party.-1983-1993:The Greens were originally founded in 23 June 1983. In the 1984 election, the party got two seats in the Chamber of Deputies. In 1985, however the party split between two parties one called 'GLEI' and the other called 'GAP'... |
7 | |
| Alternative Democratic Reform Party Alternative Democratic Reform Party The Alternative Democratic Reform Party , abbreviated to ADR, is a conservative political party in Luxembourg. It has four seats in the sixty-seat Chamber of Deputies, making it the fifth-largest party.... |
4 | |
| The Left The Left (Luxembourg) The Left is a left-wing and socialist political organisation in Luxembourg. The Left was formed on 30 January 1999 by a group of like minded activists, many of them affiliated with existing political parties, notably the Communist Party of Luxembourg , the New Left, the Revolutionary Socialist... |
1 | |
| President of the Chamber | 1 | |
| Total |
60 | |
| Government Majority |
17 | |
Government parties denoted with bullets (•)
1 Does not include Laurent Mosar
Laurent Mosar
Laurent Mosar is a Luxembourgian politician and lawyer. He is a member of the Christian Social People's Party and sits in the Chamber of Deputies. He has been the President of the Chamber since 28 July 2009....
, who is the President of the Chamber. Although Mosar is a CSV deputy, the President cannot vote or speak in debates (except to maintain order).